Smaller Soay sheep from Scotland are able to survive warmer winters and in turn become mothers sooner, producing smaller and smaller offspring until eventually we'll get just black-and-brown wool puffs with horns.
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Credit: Pete O'Shea

Reptiles like this Komodo dragon will need to eat much more food to maintain current body size as their metabolisms rise. Let's hope they don't succeed, because OH GOD JUST LOOK AT IT
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Credit: Shutterstock

The reasons are complex and vary between species, but the CliffsNotes version is this: Animals (especially cold-blooded ones) often develop faster metabolisms in warmer temperatures, so they burn calories more quickly and reach maturity at smaller sizes. Additionally, smaller animals could have a distinct advantage when competing for dwindling food supplies; like Anne Hathaway, they simply need less to survive. There’s also Bergmann’s rule, which basically amounts to “colder environments support species of larger morphological size BECAUSE I SAID SO.”

As part of this month’s Get Small theme, we’re profiling minimizing mammals, reducing reptiles, itty-bitty insects, and belittled birds the best way we know how: with a bunch of pretty-ass pictures.